Paralegal - Trusts and Estates Dispute Team in Bristol

Ready to take your next step in law with a firm that’s forward-thinking, supportive, and deeply respected? Join our Trusts and Estates Disputes team – one of the largest and most specialist teams of its kind in the country – and be part of high‑profile, meaningful work that makes a real difference.

About Shakespeare Martineau: We’re a Top 55 UK law firm known for combining creativity, commerciality, and clarity. Our clients include blue‑chip companies, leading charities, financial institutions, and private individuals. We don’t just work in law – we work alongside our clients to shape their futures. At our core, we’re ambitious – for our people and for our clients. We provide an environment where you’re not only supported, but actively encouraged to grow, progress, and thrive.

Here you’ll find:

• High‑quality, varied work
• Exceptional training and mentoring
• A team that values your voice
• A culture that celebrates individuality

The Opportunity: As a Legal Assistant or Paralegal, you’ll play a key role in supporting our top‑tier trusts and estates disputes team. We act on complex disputes involving wills, estates, executors, financial provisions, and the Court of Protection – often for high‑net‑worth individuals and household‑name charities. You’ll gain hands‑on experience in a dynamic and fast‑paced legal environment, working closely with experienced solicitors and partners who are leaders in the field. This is a hybrid role based in either our Bristol, Nottingham or Stratford upon Avon office.

Key Responsibilities:

• Opening and closing of electronic files using a case management system to process and progress cases
• Taking telephone calls and messages, handling queries and enquiries
• Photocopying, scanning, faxing, printing, filing and collating documentation
• Archiving, storage and retrieval of documentation (electronic and paper versions)
• Typing of documents and correspondence
• Processing incoming and outgoing post and arranging couriers
• Managing diaries for the team, booking appointments and making travel arrangements
• Assisting with financial administration, liaison with finance team, processing cheque requests and expenses, preparation and despatch of invoices and collecting payment
• Maintaining data on Excel spreadsheets

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise:

• A minimum of 6 months’ experience in an administrative role gained within a legal or professional services environment
• Confidence with IT systems to include Microsoft Word and Excel
• A minimum grade C pass at GCSE (or equivalent) in English Language and Mathematics

Key competencies you will need:

• The ability to work well in a team and develop good working relationships with colleagues and others
• Good communication skills with the confidence to liaise openly and clearly with colleagues and clients
• The ability to produce a high standard of work, sometimes under pressure, whilst maintaining accuracy and good attention to detail
• To be able to demonstrate flexibility, initiative and confidence in your own ability

About you – you will be:

• Highly enthusiastic, willing to go the extra mile and be happy to go beyond the job description
• Respectful towards others and have a positive, willing and ‘can do’ attitude
• Keen to learn, interested in driving your own career progression and be proactive in taking ownership of this

Benefits, Agile Working and Additional information: We embrace agile working and offer a blended approach to where and how we work. We appreciate that people have different needs and preferences and we’re keen to be flexible, after all, we value what you do, not where you do it. We have the following hubs across the UK: Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Leeds, Leicester, Lincoln, London, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Sheffield, Stratford upon Avon & Tunbridge Wells.

Do you want to check out our amazing benefits?

Additional information: Please be aware, for some vacancies, where we receive high numbers of applications we may need to bring the close date forward. Due to the nature of the work undertaken, confirmation of employment will be subject to a variety of checks which will be carried out once an offer of employment is accepted. Details of the checks can be found here.

Equal opportunities: Lime, as part of the Ampa Group is a committed equal opportunities employer. We seek to attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures. We value and respect individuality and encourage a culture within our business where people can be themselves and be valued for their strengths and experiences. Everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, regardless of their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.